There is way too much out there about the 40-step morning routine and the 5am club and the expectation that we'll move mountains before breakfast. I don't think that's what it's about. No matter what time you wake up or what your morning holds, it's about being intentional enough to carve out a little time for you, so you start the day with a supported nervous system.

You'll find a whole set of daily reset actions geared toward the morning in your workbook, and if the full list feels overwhelming, pick one. Just one. Starting your morning on the right foot really does set the stage for the day.

The single change that helped me most

Personally, the biggest shift I made was sleeping with my phone outside my room. Before you tell me you use it as an alarm or someone important needs to reach you, phones and I have thought of that.

There are alarm clocks, and I say this with love and a little firmness. Lovely ones, including sunrise alarms with gradual wake-up lights. Getting an alarm clock means you're not rolling over to check your phone at 3am and getting activated, not scrolling before bed, and not reaching for your phone as the very first thing you do. And if someone truly needs to reach you, phone settings now let specific people's calls and texts through while the phone sits on the floor outside your door or across the room. You can rest more settled that way.

Light, first thing

One of the best things you can do for your sleep happens in the morning: get outside within 30 to 60 minutes of waking and get natural light on your eyes. It sets your circadian rhythm, energizes you, and gives you a moment to pause before the day takes off.

Coffee and breakfast, together

For those who know me, coffee is a non-negotiable. But I want you to notice how you're using it. If you need it to drag yourself through the day, that's worth looking at, and this kind of reset often rebuilds coffee into something you have because you love it rather than because you can't function without it. Notice too how it affects you: if it makes you squirrely, anxious, or buzzy, it may not be your best choice.

Have your coffee with breakfast, and have breakfast within an hour of waking. Here's why. Your blood sugar is at its lowest when you wake, having gone the longest stretch without food. If you don't eat, your body reads it as starving and releases cortisol to mobilize energy. So skipping that early meal spikes your cortisol even more than usual and sets your nervous system on a harder trajectory for the day. Coffee and breakfast go together, within about an hour of waking.

A little pause

Finally, a bit of mindfulness. I know this is hard with young kids, but even before you get out of bed, a few deep breaths, an intention, and a couple of gratitudes can genuinely turn the ship for the day. Your morning routine doesn't need many steps and doesn't force you up at dawn. It just asks for intention and a pause, and that alone resets your nervous system toward a better day.

The full morning routine and daily reset actions live inside my Energy Shift program. Start it here for $22.